Since their introduction, wireless communication systems including pagers, cellular telephones and low-tier radio telephones, have become increasingly popular. Such devices provide an extremely convenient means for communication.
Wireless communication systems, particularly cellular telephones and low-tier radio telephones, are convenient because they allow their users to save time. The user of a wireless telephone unit need not waste time looking for an available telephone in order to place a call. A wireless telephone unit also allows its user to take advantage of time spent traveling. For example, with a wireless telephone, the user can be transacting business or making appointments while driving, riding or walking.
A representative portable cellular telephone with accessories is commercially available from SONY as model CM-RX100, as representatively shown in FIGS. 1 to 4. As seen in FIG. 1, the cellular telephone designated generally by the reference numeral 10 includes a power switch 11 for turning the cellular telephone 10 on or off. An incoming indicator 12 flashes when receiving a call to apprise the user of incoming traffic. A dial shuttle 13 recalls the speed dialing number and the last dialed numbers when turned up or down in the standby mode. When pressed, the dial shuttle 13 enters the function mode F and can then be turned up or down for selection. By pressing the dial shuttle 13 for one second, a function menu is automatically scrolled. Scrolling may be terminated by pressing any button except the power switch 11. A display 14 is provided on the face of the telephone 10.
A keypad 10a is included with a STORE button 15 for storing a phone number and a CLEAR button 16 which releases the number or letter entered and exits the mode when pressed for one second. The keypad 10a also includes the conventional buttons for numerals 1 to 9 and 0, with star and # buttons.
An antenna 18 in an antenna socket 19 is extendable or fixed to receive or transmit telephony. A ringer is shown at numeral 20, with a speaker 21. An ABC button on the face of the telephone 10 is used to enter and exit the alphabetical mode; a RECALL button 24 recalls a stored phone number; a SEND button 25 is used to make a call and also used for conferences and interrupt calls; and an END button is used to end calls or exit the mode. As shown in the bottom view seen in FIG. 3, a connector 27 connects optional car batter cord or handsfree kit and a battery charge contact 28 is provided. The circuitry and technology for making such a telephone are known, as evidenced by this commercially available model.
As seen in FIG. 2, a hand strap attachment 29 a battery cover release button 30 and a battery cover 31 are provided.
A feature of this prior art cellular telephone is an arm microphone 22 which is stored in a position shown in FIG. 1 and is extended to the open position shown representatively in FIG. 4 for making a call. In this model, opening the arm microphone 22 makes a call or answers an incoming call, while closing the arm microphone ends the call.
Other examples of non-axially extendable arm microphones are seen in DES. Pat. No. 352,708 and U.S. Pat. No. 5,404,390.
However, such extendable arm microphones have in the main not been aesthetically incorporated into attractive face designs for the cellular telephone and have usually been manually operated by hand between a closed and an open position. Nor have such arm microphones been spring loaded to extend automatically or semi-automatically for the convenience of the user. Thus, there is an opportunity for additional improvements to such arm microphones which are addressed by this invention.